Women of Promise

        Do you like to work jigsaw puzzles? Growing up, my grandmother and mom loved to work large jigsaw puzzles. I’m talking 500, 750, 1000  piece puzzles. The week between Christmas and New Year was traditionally the time where we had a table devoted to a large puzzle. Inevitably, we would all be pulled into it at some point in the week. Sometimes we finished it, sometimes not. It was left out on the table and we would spend hours pouring over it. Gradually, the beautiful picture emerged, as the pieces came together.       What is the first step in putting the puzzle together? After pouring out some of the pieces, you first have to turn over the pieces to see the pattern on the front, right?       Our spiritual journey in understanding the Bible is similar to working a puzzle. We are gradually gaining a better understanding of the beautiful picture that will become increasingly more clear to us as we place ea...

     C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying that Psalm 19 was "the greatest poem in the Psalter, and one of the most beautiful lyrics in the world."  I am not a judge of literature, but I tend to agree with him! Have you read this Psalm recently? It is only 14 verses, and does not take long at all to read.  While it is very beautiful to read,  it is more than pretty words.  This short song draws our hearts to the Creator and His law, ultimately turning our hearts and minds to repentance and worship.  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.               Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.                             There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.                        ...

    Amy Carmichael was a Christian missionary to India.  She is most known for her work with the women and girls, many of whom were left at the Hindu temples.  She rescued girls of all ages from a life of prostitution and started a home and school where she taught them the love of Jesus, while also providing love and care for their physical needs.  Facing opposition from the priests and families, and even other missionaries, Amy served in India for fifty-five years. The last twenty of those years she was mostly confined to her bedroom due to chronic pain and immobility she suffered as a result of a terrible fall. She wrote many poems and books. Her home for girls is still in operation. Her work is continued by the girls she rescued and raised along with others sent by God to help. I encourage you to read more about this inspiring Christian lady, if you are not familiar with her.    I love to read and learn about Amy's life, as well as her many poems an...

      When life presses in pretty close and trials and troubles encroach on our hearts, where can we turn? When schedules and concerns overwhelm our minds, how are we to cope? When we can't even form words to pray, what will bring peace to our soul?     The Word of God provides the answers. The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a sword. The Word of God is the Bible. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word of God is our peace and our comfort. The Word of God is our refuge when the storms of life are howling all around us.       The Psalms are one place in the Word of God that can provide the clarity of thought and the peace and calm to our souls that we need. My father gave me a Psalter many years ago. A Psalter is the Psalms of the Bible put into a form for singing (often to traditional hymns that are very familiar to me.)  I love to open this book and read this version of the Psalms, often humming them to the tu...

Remember the song, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God"? It has been running my head recently. The family of faith really is a beautiful treasure. I know, because I haven't always had that. Sometimes life happens and we get separated from a fellowship. The pain and loneliness is difficult to navigate. God never intends this to be a long term situation, although He may use circumstances to guide us into His beautiful, pre-designed plan.  Sometimes we are tempted to think we are OK when we are off doing our own thing. The truth is, we need each other and the church needs you! I recently read a really great analogy told by D.L. Moody. A man told the preacher that he could be a good Christian without going to church. Without a word, D.L. Moody reached into the fireplace and removed one small log from the woodpile that was blazing.  He set the small log on the tile away from the rest of the fire. The log burned brightly at first before slowly getti...

It seems like summer has arrived!  With the warmer temperatures comes the increased struggle to keep our bodies hydrated.  Drinking water is essential for our human bodies.  Sometimes children do not even realize they need that water until you give them a cup of cold water and they feel the refreshment that it brings. They may be thirsty, but looking for sodas or snacks instead of water that they actually need. Plants dry up more quickly during these days of warm sunlight.  If you give them a source of water, they flourish and their leaves grow strong and green as they reach for the sun. God placed in all of us a thirst for something that will fulfill us. It is as much a part of our spiritual and emotional need as  physical water is for our bodies. It is absolutely essential that we discover that one thing that satisfies that longing in the pit of our soul.  So often we look everywhere for the answer to that thirst, except for that one place tha...

       Humans are funny creatures.  We are always striving for acceptance.  To do that, we want to dress like everyone around us. We want our homes to be decorated to look like the decorating shows. We compare everything about us to our neighbor or social media posts.  We want to "fit in." We want our kids to "fit in."  This is natural.     At the same time, we struggle to find some way to "stand out."  What is that one thing that makes us different?  Maybe it is a unique sense of style.  Maybe it's a quirky personality. Perhaps you have an unique sense of humor.  We find that thing and wear it with pride.  Our culture applauds this constant tug of war between "fitting in" and "standing out."  No wonder our teens are more confused than ever.       Being intentional about our faith means we look at every area of our life and ask ourselves, "Am I representing Jesus through this?"  This...